The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-11-18
'.NERVOUS DAY"


them miserable. She had been having one
Of her regular nervous days, as she styled
them, and everything had gone wrong.
Little Freddy, only four years old and
their only child, had been banished from
the sitting-room, although he had pleaded
hard to stay and 'loot at his pity pitter
book" Santa Claus brought him, and had
promised, with such a resolute air, that
he would be $50 Silly" but no, his
mamma wanted to lie down on the lounge,
and he must 60 out to play.
Mr. and Mrs. Stanhope were not wealthy,
so Freddy did not have a nurse to look
after him, no one but old Towser, the
faithful Newfoundland watch dog, who
was years older than his little master, and
who had watched him faithfully ever since
he was wee baby.
Mrs. Stanhope had just settled herself
on the lounge and taken up the last maya
zine, which she thought might quiet her
nerves little, when, bang. went the out
side door, as only a healthy boy, full of
spirits, could shut it, and the next instant
Freddy bounded into the sitting room, up
setting chair and tumbling headlong
over footstool
A spasm, as of pain, crossed his mother S
face, and she raised her hand as though to
ward off blow, exclaiming fretfully:
"Oh, Freddy, what naughty boy you
are! why can't you stay out and play when
mamma feels SOP
Mamma! mammal exclaimed Freddy,
who had by this time regained his equi-
librlum and who did not in the least mind
the tumble or his mothers fretful speech !;
''me is hayin' such fun! ct me tell 90
''No, no, Freddy" interrupted his
mother; 81 don't want to hear; run out
again and play. You may do anything
you choose, only let me have little quiet. y
Freddy looked a little disappointed and
stood pouting his cherry lips, with one
chubby finger stuck between them.
"Did you hear, Freddy" reiterated his
mother, raising her voice. ''Ain't You
going to mind? told you to go out; now
start
The child walked slowly out of the ROOM
On the hall rug lay Towser, and Freddy
impulsively threw his arms around his
hairy friends neck and burst into tears.
me did ont to tell er Towder, me did, )"
he sobbed; but his grief and disappoint-
ment was of short duration, for in few
moments he sprang up and ran ont into
the yard, followed by Towser
After Freddy went out, Mrs. Stanhope
tried in vain to get interested in the maya
zine; at last she threw it petulantly from
her aad lying back upon the cushions,
closed her eyes. Soon a sweet, delicious
languor stole over her; she was riding in
Mrs. Graham's exquisite brougham.
Mrs. Graham was a widow lady who
lived just across the way, and who was
worth over half a million, report said; and
whose superb horses and elegant carriages
little Mrs. Stanhopo had often admired,
and, if the truth must be told, envied.
Then the scene changed; she was lying
there on the lounge in her pleasant sitting
room, listening to the sweetest music she
ever heard. Suddenly there was a scream
from Freddy, an energetic bow WOW from
Towser, and an exclamation of fright from
Kitty, the servant girl, as she ran hastily
out into the yard.
An underlined feeling of terror filled the
heart of Mrs. Stanhope; she tried to rise,
but found her strength had entirely desert
ed her; and pale as death, with eyes closed
she lay there longing, yet dreading, to hear
what had happened.
In few moments-it seemed hours to
her-she heard Kitty come in. There
was another step too, not Freddy's; she
listened in vain for the Datter of his lit
tie feet. The steps paused at the sit
ting-room door, which was ajar. She
knew intuitively they were looking in.
'Hist. do not make noise; she is fast
asleep" she heard Kitty say in whisper.
SIT will be trouble enough to her to know
when she wakes. poor narvous creature.
Gone of his horns went clean through"
she heard the other voice say, and which
she recognized as Mary Calhone's, Mrs.
Graham's kitchen maid.
What terrible accident had happened.
that they were not going to tell her until
she awoke o, would she ever awake and
come out of this stupor! She tried to
move, to scream, but all to no purpose; a
sudden, thick darkness seemed enveloping
her, and she sank into insensibility.
When she again opened her eyes it was
night; the curtains were down, lamp
burned on the table, but was turned low
down, and the figure of strange woman
was moving about the room putting things
to rights.
"Who are you? What has happened?''
asked Mrs. Stanhope, in a scarcely audible
voice and with difficulty arising to sitting
posture.
80, have you walked upI" said the
woman, coming over to the lounge where
she sat "And you don't know? deary me!
how can tell you! Your little boy, your
little Freddy, you will never see him alive
againn'
"Never-see-Fred dy-alive! What do
you meant gasped Mrs. Stanhope, start
ing up and cropping blindly across the room
to the door. AS she opened it she met her
lo hnr in In a rms